The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying small parts, such as rivets, eyelets, snaps, hooks, buttons, etc., to a carrier material, and includes: a separating or sorting magazine for storing loose small parts, with the sorting magazine comprising a laterally open, tub-shaped container that has a feed opening for the small parts and also comprises, for sorting the small parts, a drum-like working mechanism that is secured to the side of the container; an applying tool; and a guide rail that is disposed between the sorting magazine and the applying tool for supplying oriented small parts that leave the sorting magazine.
Application machines of this general type are known. They serve for the application of small parts to a carrier material. Such small parts can, for example, be rivets, eyelets, snaps, hooks, buttons, etc. The heretofore known application apparatus basically comprise an applying tool that carries out the process of applying the small part to the carrier material. Since the parts that are to be applied are small parts, these parts are loosely stored in a magazine that is embodied as a separating or sorting magazine into which the small parts are loaded. The small parts are supplied from this sorting magazine to the applying tool via a guide rail after the small parts are separated and oriented within the sorting magazine For this purpose, the sorting magazine comprises a tubshaped container that is vertically inclined and therefore laterally opened. The top of the container is provided with a feed opening for the small parts. In the vicinity of the lateral opening of the container, a drum-like working mechanism is flanged onto the container; this working mechanism is driven by a motor and serves for the separation and sorting of the small parts. In so doing, the working mechanism supplies the small parts to the guide rail.
With the heretofore known application machines, the sorting magazine is self-contained for accommodating the small parts. This creates a problem if during the course of time so-called scrap, i.e. small parts that cannot leave the sorting magazine due to deformations and cannot be conveyed to the guide rail, accumulate in the sorting magazine, so that to alleviate this situation the sorting magazine must from time to time be emptied in order to remove scrap. For this purpose, with the heretofore known application machines the sorting magazine must be completely dismantled; this is very time intensive and expensive.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the application apparatus of the aforementioned general type in such a way that it does not have to be disassembled in order to empty the sorting magazine.